“You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”
- C.S. Lewis
Birthdays have a funny way of sneaking up on us. They are not just a reminder that the cake needs more candles, but also a nudge asking,
“What have you really done with this last lap around the sun?”
I celebrated my birthday this week, which means I realized I need a bigger cake and a moment to sit down and ask myself how I’m doing.
So I’m taking inventory. I’m looking at the year behind me: what changed, what stayed the same, and how I feel about my faith, my health, my relationships, and my work. Some of the answers make me feel good. Others make me want to crawl back under the covers. But honesty is the best gift we can give ourselves.
Next, I will turn toward the year ahead. Who do I want to be one year from today? What do I want to accomplish? To keep it manageable, I always boil it down to my “Top 3.” Just three big things for the year, because if the list becomes too long, it devolves into wishful thinking rather than meaningful progress.
Here’s a fun fact (because I’m the kind of person who likes to back up birthday reflections with research): studies show you’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. Which is why my birthday week usually involves equal parts journaling and tasty treats.
Of course, I don’t have to tell you that the world feels heavy right now. It’s noisy, divided, and more complicated than ever. Which is exactly why intentional, purpose-driven people are needed. People who know who they are, what they’re gifted at, and how they can use those gifts not just to build a great life, but to bring a little more light, sanity, and goodness into the world around them.
We’re all at a crossroads. The two paths are clear. You can be a divider or a unifier. You decide. You can live reactively, or you can choose to design a life that intentionally brings the world a little closer together. My birthday reminder to myself, and hopefully to you, is don’t just make a plan for your year, make a plan for your legacy. Big or small, your positive impact can be the greatest gift of all to yourself and others. We must remember that even in a challenging world, we still have the choice to dream, to build, and to believe that something better is possible.
We are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream. And in times like these, we need more dreamers who are brave enough to turn those dreams into legacies.
TWO TIPS FOR FOR PLANNING FOR YOUR LEGACY
1. ALIGN YOUR GIFTS WITH THE GREATER GOOD
Take inventory of your unique strengths, what you’re naturally good at, what people thank you for, or what energizes you. Then ask: “How can I use this not just for myself, but for others?” Look for one small action each week that lets you bring unity, light, or encouragement to someone else. Purpose isn’t just personal. It multiplies when it’s shared.
2. CHOOSE LEGACY OVER NOISE
When faced with a decision, big or small, pause and ask: “Does this move me toward the life and legacy I want to leave?” If the answer is no, it might be worth reconsidering. In a divided world, living with intention helps us choose the path of being a unifier, not just a bystander.
For founders, building a legacy starts with buying back your time. Traci's Freedom to Scale keynote helps entrepreneurs grow without sacrificing themselves, their team, or their vision. She speaks in Nashville and nationwide.
Traci Schubert Barrett is a Nashville-based keynote speaker and founding executive of HGTV, where she helped grow a fledgling idea into a billion-dollar brand. After two decades in media, she walked away to ask a bigger question: what if there’s more than success? That question became her award-winning book, What If There’s More?: Finding Significance Beyond Success, and her Healthy Ambition™ framework, which helps leaders and entrepreneurs achieve high performance without burnout. She is co-founder and President of Navigate the Journey.
